Don't miss any of HealthyWoman from Bottom Line.
Add our address, HealthyWomanfromBottomLine@news.bottomlinepublishing.com,
to your Address Book or Safe List. Learn how here. | September 8, 2011 | |  |  | Strengthen Bones Safely with Strontium | | | Delicious "Wonder Drug" for High Blood Pressure Praised by Harvard Researchers | | | Blame Menopause for Your Burning Mouth | | | Perfect Painkillers... | | | Fascinating Facts | | | |  |  | |  | |
 | | Strengthen Bones Safely with Strontium At the recent Integrative Healthcare Symposium in New York City, I had the pleasure of attending a lecture given by Alan R. Gaby, MD, a past president of the American Holistic Medical Association. Dr. Gaby is a renowned expert on nutrition and bone health, so I contacted him to discuss a topic I had been reading about—whether to supplement with strontium to strengthen bones and protect against osteoporosis. First, some background info. Strontium is a trace mineral found in soil and water and in small quantities in our diet (particularly in unprocessed foods, including whole grains, Brazil nuts, legumes and root vegetables). It also is present in our bones. Strontium appears to help stimulate new bone formation and prevent bone from breaking down. A study published in The New England Journal of Medicine looked at the effects of taking high doses of strontium on 1,649 postmenopausal women with osteoporosis. For three years, participants took either a placebo or 2 g per day of a form called strontium ranelate, which provided 680 mg of strontium daily—or roughly 200 to 600 times more strontium than is found in a typical diet. Results: High-dose strontium users showed increased bone density and a 41% reduction in vertebral fracture risk during the study period. Does that make it seem like taking high doses of strontium is a good idea? Don’t be too hasty: Dr. Gaby pointed out that the protective effect of strontium against fractures appeared to wane after the first year of the study... and that this reduction in effectiveness occurred even though bone mineral density kept going up—suggesting that the new bone being formed may not have been of high quality. Another concern: Animal studies have shown that high doses of strontium can cause bone defects that resemble rickets, Dr. Gaby cautioned. Bottom line: The long-term risks of taking large doses of strontium for an extended time are still not known. So, until more long-term studies are done, Dr. Gaby recommended using high-dose strontium supplementation only if you have been diagnosed with osteoporosis... only under the supervision of a nutrition-oriented doctor... and for no more than one to three years. For prevention: It is safe to take a low-dose strontium supplement of 2 mg to 6 mg per day (about double what most of us typically get from our diets), continuing indefinitely, Dr. Gaby said. Multivitamin/mineral supplements generally do not contain strontium, but check the label on your multi to be sure. Exceptions: Two strontium-containing multivitamin/mineral supplements, OsteoPrime and OsteoPrime Plus (which Dr. Gaby helped formulate and which are available from www.EnzymaticTherapy.com), provide 2 mg and 6 mg of strontium, respectively, per dose—plus other nutrients shown in animal or human studies to either increase bone density or slow bone loss associated with aging. Source: Alan R. Gaby, MD, is the author or coauthor of numerous books, including the new textbook Nutritional Medicine (available at www.DoctorGaby.com). A past president of the American Holistic Medical Association and contributing medical editor for the Townsend Letter for Doctors and Patients, he testified before the White House Commission on Complementary and Alternative Medicine. Dr. Gaby is based in Concord, New Hampshire.
| | |
 | | Delicious "Wonder Drug" for High Blood Pressure Praised by Harvard Researchers According to recent estimates, nearly one in three American adults has high blood pressure. But for the Kuna Indians living on a group of islands off the Caribbean coast of Panama, hypertension doesn’t even exist. In fact, after age 60, the average blood pressure for Kuna Indian islanders is a perfect 110/70. So what makes these folks practically "immune" to hypertension—and lets them enjoy much lower death rates from heart attacks, strokes, diabetes and cancer? Harvard researchers were stunned to discover it’s because they drink about five cups of cocoa each day. That’s right, cocoa! | |
Learn more...  | |  | | |
 | | Blame Menopause for Your Burning Mouth "I have a weird, nearly constant burning sensation on my tongue. It almost feels like I scalded my mouth, though I didn’t," a coworker remarked to me. When I asked how long this had been going on, she said, "For a few years now. It started around the time I turned 50 and has gotten worse over time." I told her that it sounded like a case of burning mouth syndrome (BMS)—and the timing probably was not coincidental, given a recent study published in General Dentistry reporting that the majority of BMS sufferers are women in midlife. I contacted the study’s lead author, Gary D. Klasser, DMD, an associate professor at Louisiana State University School of Dentistry. One theory, he told me, is that the hormonal changes of menopause could lead to degenerative alterations in certain small nerves in the mouth. Our taste buds (of which we have thousands) receive information from both pain fibers and from specialized taste fibers, Dr. Klasser explained—so nerve damage can trigger the erroneous firing of pain messages in addition to transmitting abnormal taste sensations. Hormone therapy (which is often prescribed to ease hot flashes and other troublesome menopausal symptoms) does not relieve chronic BMS, probably because it cannot correct the nerve damage. While early studies suggested that supplementing with alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) might improve symptoms, follow-up research did not find ALA to be effective in relieving BMS. Good news: By some estimates, in as many as 50% of cases, BMS does eventually improve or entirely go away on its own, typically within three to six years. In the meantime, for relief: BMS sufferers commonly report experiencing temporary relief while eating... sipping a beverage... sucking on hard candy... or chewing gum. This stimulates saliva, Dr. Klasser explained, which in turn causes nerve fibers to function more normally, if only for as long as there is actually something in your mouth. Of course, you cannot eat, drink or chew gum all the time, so ideally this strategy should be used at times when your discomfort is worst. For many BMS patients, pain peaks in the late afternoon or early evening. The types of foods, beverages and gum flavors that most effectively alleviate pain vary among individuals, so you need to experiment to find those that work for you. To protect your teeth from decay, Dr. Klasser advised choosing water or another sugar-free noncarbonated beverage, sugar-free hard candy or sugar-free gum. What to avoid: Some BMS patients report that burning pain worsens when eating hot, spicy and/or acidic foods... drinking alcohol... using mouthwash that contains alcohol... or using toothpaste that contains sodium lauryl sulfate (a surfactant) or cinnamon flavoring. Source: Gary D. Klasser, DMD, is an associate professor in the department of comprehensive dentistry and biomaterials at Louisiana State University School of Dentistry in New Orleans. Dr. Klasser has authored or coauthored numerous textbook chapters and peer-reviewed journal articles, including a recent study on burning mouth syndrome.
| | |
| | | Fascinating Facts 15%... US nursing homes cited for deficiencies in infection control practices every year. One reason: Staffing shortages can lead nurses and aides to cut corners on anti-infection measures, such as proper hand-washing. Source: American Journal of Infection Control 47%... Meat and poultry from US grocery stores that is contaminated with staphylococcus aureus, a bacterium linked to various diseases in humans, including pneumonia and heart infection. Proper cooking can kill staph bacteria. Source: Translational Genomics Research Institute 88%... Increase in the rate of syphilis among American women from 2004 to 2008... though the rate fell by 7% in 2009 (the most recent year for which statistics are available). Total US syphilis cases in 2009: 13,997. Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
| | |
 |
 | |  Tamara Eberlein, the editor of HealthyWoman from Bottom Line, has been a health journalist for nearly three decades. An award-winning author or coauthor of four books, she is committed to helping other women in midlife and beyond live healthy, fulfilling lives. Her latest book is the updated, third edition of When You’re Expecting Twins, Triplets, or Quads (HarperCollins). She is also the "chief health adviser" to her husband of 26 years and three college-age children. | |  | | Bottom Line Publications | 281 Tresser Boulevard, 8th Floor | Stamford, CT 06901
You received this free E-letter because you have requested it. You are on the mailing list as healthwellness82@gmail.com. Or... a friend forwarded it to you. Click here to easily unsubscribe. To change your e-mail address click here. To update your e-mail preferences click here.
© 2011 by Boardroom Inc. All Rights Reserved. |
No comments:
Post a Comment